Daily Readings - Sun Jul 18 2021

¹Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.²Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.³And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.⁴And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.⁵Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.⁶In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Ephesians

Chapter 2

¹³But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.¹⁴For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;¹⁵Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;¹⁶And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:¹⁷And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.¹⁸For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Mark

Chapter 6

³⁰And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.³¹And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.³²And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.³³And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.³⁴And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

Sermon

In today's readings, we explore the theme of shepherding and leadership, highlighting God's promise of compassionate guidance and unity. The first reading from Jeremiah criticizes leaders who neglect their flock, promising instead a righteous leader from David's line—foreshadowing Jesus. This sets the stage for understanding the need for true, selfless leadership. Ephesians bridges this theme by illustrating how Christ, the ultimate shepherd, unites all people, breaking down barriers and reconciling humanity through His sacrifice. This reading emphasizes that Christ's mission is one of peace and unity, extending beyond cultural or religious divisions, inviting us to be part of this reconciled body. In Mark's Gospel, Jesus exemplifies this shepherding role. Despite the Apostles' exhaustion, Jesus' compassion leads Him to teach the crowd, demonstrating that true leadership involves caring for others' needs. This calls us to reflect on our own roles as shepherds in our communities, encouraging us to lead with empathy and kindness. As we apply these teachings to our lives, we are reminded to seek guidance from the Good Shepherd and to emulate His care in our interactions. By doing so, we become instruments of God's peace, fostering unity and compassion in our world. Let us trust in God's plan and strive to be shepherds of love and reconciliation, just as Christ has shown us.